SQUID Loyalty
One app that hosts the loyalty cards of nearly 2,000 independents in Ireland
SQUID gives cafés, takeaways, salons and shops a digital stamp or points scheme inside a single consumer app that Irish customers already use for other local businesses. With 'Wave' points the network is becoming a coalition: customers earn a common currency on everyday spending across partner venues and redeem it anywhere in the network. The company reports about 2,000 businesses, 550,000 users and 20 million transactions, mostly in Ireland.
Our reading. Best for Irish independents that want to join an existing local loyalty network with real users instead of launching a stand-alone card.
Strengths
- Consumer app with a large installed base in Ireland, so a new merchant gets existing users on day one
- Coalition points across independents rather than isolated stamp cards
- Retail-investor community (2,600+ crowdfunders) that doubles as advocates
Limits
- Concentrated in Ireland; UK and Australia presence is small
- Pricing on request; funding (€5.5M) is above a typical bootstrapped profile
Founded 2019, crowdfunded Irish network of independents now rolling out a shared 'Wave' points currency
SQUID Rewards Ltd; founders Matthew Coffey and Katie Farrell; €1.7M Crowdcube round in March 2025 at a €33M pre-money valuation; 'Wave by SQUID' network-wide points launched 2025
- https://www.siliconrepublic.com/start-ups/squid-loyalty-crowdfunding-dublin
- https://retailtechinnovationhub.com/home/2025/2/26/digital-loyalty-specialist-squid-loyalty-launches-funding-round-to-drive-its-international-expansion
- https://squidloyalty.ie/